Newcastle United have been dealt their perennial early-season injury issues, but there’s little question that Eddie Howe’s side are in a good position to meet their targets this year; perhaps they will even exceed them.

The backline has stood strong and firm for most of Howe’s tenure, but he has reinforced the St. James’ Park defences this summer and appears to have added layers to the existing fold too. Nick Pope has five clean sheets from seven Premier League matches, and as the goalkeeper ranks joint-fifth for saves made (19), all can be observed to be pulling their weight.

However, with Alexander Isak sold to Liverpool for a record-breaking fee, the Magpies entered the campaign freighted with fresh worries about the quality in attack. Yoane Wissa still hasn’t made his debut for the club as he recovers from a knee injury, and that has been fuel for the fire.

But the intensity of the blaze has been allayed through the fast start to life in England of Nick Woltemade.

Newcastle's big-money buy

If Newcastle are fools for spending the big bucks on Woltemade in August, what does that make those who opted against landing such a unique and dangerous centre-forward?

Seven games in, the former Stuttgart man has notched four goals in black and white, and he’s earning the respect and focus of more than just Tyneside’s devoted fans.

Different to Isak, Woltemade still boasts far more than a sharp shot, and his early foray into the English game has told of an exciting future for both player and club, the potential to join Isak and maybe even the legendary Alan Shearer in the highest regard of those strikers who were not one cut but several above the rest.

Four goals in seven hardly make a young and aspiring forward the next Shearer, but already the 23-year-old has proved himself a reliable goalscorer in the Premier League, with the sharpness of mind to rival Isak for the crown as Newcastle’s best modern nine.

However, Shearer’s role and reputation in Newcastle surpassed the success he had as a goalscorer. A true talismanic force, he led the club for many years and understood inherently what it means to be a Geordie.

And Newcastle may have their next version. No, it’s not boyhood fan Dan Burn (although he is of course a legend in his own right).

No, the man in question here arrived from overseas, but he’s an adopted son of this city and one of the key pillars of the Howe era.

Howe's own version of Shearer

It all started with Howe. And then Howe got to work during the January 2022 transfer window and signed a wealth of talented players to climb away from relegation danger and up and up the Premier League ladder.

And among the first through the door was Bruno Guimaraes, who joined from Lyon for a £41m fee toward the end of the window. He was 24 at the time, and it was considered a coup.

Into his fifth campaign on Tyneside, the Brazil international has been both a leader and a marvel in the middle of the park, with his combative defending and fierce pressing and elegant passing leading all the big clubs to come sniffing. He has remained loyal.

But the £100m prices that have been mooted here and there underline his skill and the belief from elsewhere that Newcastle have a truly special player in their mix.

Hailed as a “machine” of a midfielder by blogger Thomas Hammond, the 27-year-old has maintained impressive fitness levels and has been deployed more often than any other Newcastle player across Howe’s tenure.

Fabian Schar

5

163

Bruno Guimaraes

5

160

Dan Burn

5

158

Jacob Murphy

5

144

Joelinton

5

138

He’d bleed for the badge, and has been rewarded for his tenacity and commitment with two Champions League campaigns in three terms, winning the Carabao Cup last year besides.

The £160k-per-week talent is unquestionably one of the best in the business, and he is also the captain of the United fold, with Howe speaking in the past of his awe for Newcastle’s “difference-maker”.

Had he never arrived, Newcastle might never have hit the heights reached over the past few years. Perhaps the drive and verve they played with for much of 2024/25 would never have led them to triumph in the Carabao Cup.

But even in defeat, Guimaraes speaks with a passion that cannot be forged, cannot be imitated. The loss to Liverpool in August would be a case in point, having taken a subtle dig at Isak as he held his head high even after Rio Ngumoha sank hearts across St. James’ Park with a cruel last-minute winner.

There stood a leader, a talisman Shearer was proud of watching. Isak might have had the 55-year-old’s respect for his ability to find the back of the net, but Guimaraes is by far a better embodiment of what it takes to wear the Newcastle badge.

Shearer is the all-time record scorer in the Premier League with 260 goals. Even for a phenomenon like Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (who has 94 goals), that will take some beating.

The retired striker said he lived out his “dream” at Newcastle, even though Manchester United came calling when he was at Blackburn Rovers, even though he unlaced his boots and hung them up without any silverware to display across ten campaigns on Tyneside.

Guimaraes bears a trophy in his own cabinet, but he too has had offers from more established superpowers, and he remains when some of his high-level teammates have ventured off for greener pastures.

He wears the armband, and he deserves it. Guimaraes is the leader of this remarkable Howe project, and he is closer to Shearer than Isak ever was.

PIF have overpaid for "mega-money" Newcastle signing & it's not Woltemade

One of Newcastle’s key signings over the summer may well have an “inflated valuation” & it’s not Nick Woltemade.

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 9, 2025

Glasgow Rangers are back in action in the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox on Saturday after the end of the international break, but it remains to be seen who will be in the dugout.

The Light Blues parted ways with their last head coach after their last league match before the break, and Rangers have yet to agree a deal with a replacement.

As shown in the graphic above, the Gers endured a dismal start to the 2025/26 campaign, winning just five of their 17 matches, and they have to find a manager who can turn their fortunes around.

Rangers have held talks with English tactician

Steven Gerrard has withdrawn from contention to be the next Gers manager, after talks with the club, which means that they now have to look elsewhere for a Russell Martin replacement.

Manager Focus

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According to TEAMtalk, Rangers have held talks with former Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick as part of their process to find their next boss.

The English tactician, who left Boro at the end of last season, has had discussions with the Ibrox giants over a potential move to Scotland, and would not cost a penny in compensation.

TEAMtalk adds, though, that Danny Rohl, Kieran McKenna, and Rafael Wicky are also contenders for the role, as the Light Blues look for an alternative to Gerrard.

Why Rangers should appoint Michael Carrick

Carrick would be an intriguing option for the Scottish giants to go for because he has the potential to get Ibrox rocking again with his style of play and history in the game.

Rangers supporters could get behind the English tactician because he had an illustrious playing career, unlike Martin, winning five Premier League titles with Manchester United, making 464 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

This means that he can bring a winning mentality to the club even if his coaching career has not started in a similar vein, as he impressed with Middlesbrough on a “limited budget”, as Mark Schwarzer put it.

Michael Carrick’s two full seasons at Middlesbrough

Championship

23/24

24/25

League finish

8th

10th

xPTS (Expected league finish)

73 (5th)

71 (6th)

xG

69.5

67.4

xGA

55.0

56.4

xGD

+14.5

+11.3

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the results that Carrick’s team picked up did not quite get the rewards that his coaching deserved, which suggests that he did not have the quality of player that he needed to achieve real success down south.

If Rangers are happy with their recruitment work in the summer, the Light Blues may feel that they have the players to make the most of the former Manchester United star’s impressive and attack-minded coaching.

Carrick, who was hailed as an “insanely talented coach” by former Boro player Lukas Engel, has also shown that he can develop and get the best out of young players, like Morgan Rogers.

The England international explains in the clip above that the head coach helped him to take the next step in his development as a young player.

Rogers was valued at £1.5m by Transfermarkt at the time of his move to Boro from Manchester City. At the time of writing (14/10/2025), the 23-year-old star is valued at a whopping £48m by Transfermarkt.

This shows that Carrick can help to develop big-money talent, which aligns with the club’s strategy to bring in and improve young players, which is why another reason why he could be a fantastic appointment.

Overall, the 44-year-old head coach could get Ibrox rocking because his success and reputation in the game would command respect, and he is a manager who has shown that he can coach attacking football at Middlesbrough on a ‘limited budget’.

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It will now be interesting to see if the Light Blues decide to seriously pursue an agreement with Carrick or if they go elsewhere, with Rohl, McKenna, or Wicky.

Russell Martin is on the hunt for something that can help kick-start Rangers’ season and ensure that his tenure in Scotland isn’t a black spot on his resume.

Near the bottom of the Scottish Premiership and having failed to qualify for the Champions League, the highlights of Rangers’ season so far have come in the Scottish League Cup. Ahead of the Cup win against Hibernian, Martin described what a positive result could mean for the team: “I think it is an amazing opportunity for us to come through this period as a squad, to grow through it and to be so strong from it, and hopefully at that point everyone will come together, we just need to win football matches.”

The 2-0 victory and the reintroduction of Nicolas Raskin into the first team could provide a much-needed boost, and the opportunity to knock Celtic out in the next round could bring something of a feel-good feeling to the team.

However, the side is still in desperate need of goals, and the 49ers group appear to have their eye on a youngster who could help Rangers with their goal scoring in the long term.

Rangers make first approach for Mexican youngster

The 49ers have their eyes on the Mexican league as they’re showing interest in a youngster from title contenders Cruz Azul. This comes in the form of 19-year-old attacking midfielder Amaury Morales.

The youngster’s appearances this season have been sporadic, but when given a chance, he has shown hints at why he is highly touted. In the Leagues Cup, when he was given a full hour to play, he helped his team by providing an assist when Cruz Azul were 2-0 down. His team then went on to score an equaliser and knock Colorado out on penalties.

Reports from Mexico, via Sport Witness, have indicated Rangers’ interest in the youngster isn’t just speculative, and they have made a first approach to Cruz Azul. The youngster’s contract lasts until 2029, and he is currently valued at approximately £1.85 million.

Rangers aren’t the only club interested in Morales, and Spanish side Espanyol have also been linked, although only the Scottish side are reported to have made contact. Rangers have a pre-existing relationship with Cruz Azul, as they loaned Carlos Peña to them back in 2018.

Big tournament for Morales

For the moment, Rangers will continue to monitor Morales with the hopes he’s given more chances to shine like he did against Colorado. Rangers fans will get a chance to see him at the international level as he will represent the Mexico U20’s at the Chile World Cup, where he will be competing with talented youngsters from Brazil, Morocco and Spain.

This will likely provide the Rangers scouts with a chance to see Morales’ potential, but with the calibre of nations in his group, he may end the tournament on the radar of a number of European clubs.

If things don’t turn around for Martin following the Hibs victory, and if the next few months see Morales receive more game time, then it’s possible that they roll the dice and bring him in during the winter transfer window.

Alejandro Garnacho pulled out his trademark Manchester United celebration after scoring his maiden goal for Chelsea against Sunderland on Saturday. Garnacho, who joined the Blues on a permanent transfer from United in the last transfer window, took seven matches before scoring for the first time in a Chelsea shirt. Following the goal, the Argentine also emulated his idol Cristiano Ronaldo while celebrating.

• AFP
  

  Garnacho pulls out Man Utd celebration

  Garnacho featured in the Chelsea starting lineup for the third game in a row in the Premier League as he continued to adjust to the new conditions at Stamford Bridge. In the fourth minute of the match, Enzo Fernandez won the ball in his own half and fed Pedro Neto with a quick pass. Neto then sent a through ball towards Garnacho from the centre circle as the Argentine winger made a run from the left flank. 

  The youngster received the ball and made a run straight into the Sunderland box, before dodging past an opponent defender and finding the back of the net with a quality strike from a narrow angle. After scoring the goal, Garnacho, along with Neto, sat on the billboards to celebrate. He had earlier performed such a celebration in 2024, while at United, where Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund joined him on the advertising board. 

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• Getty
  

  Garnacho emulated Ronaldo

  Before approaching the sideline and sitting on the advertising board, Garnacho had pointed towards the ground to celebrate his maiden Chelsea goal. Football fans have seen such a celebration performed by legendary Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo on numerous occasions in the past. Garnacho has been a lifelong fan of Ronaldo and he has often gone public to show his admiration of the Al-Nassr star. He even shared a dressing room with Ronaldo briefly in the 2022-23 campaign at Old Trafford. 

• Why did Garnacho leave Man Utd?

  After being put in Ruben Amorim's 'bomb squad' in the summer, Garnacho was determined to exit Old Trafford for a new experience elsewhere. He had a fallout with coach Amorim last season, which eventually cleared his way out of the club. The Blues signed him for £40m ($54m) from the Red Devils in the summer, but until Saturday, Garnacho had failed to live up to the expectations.

  Following his departure from Manchester, Garnacho recently opened up about his journey with United, as he told TNT Sports: "I’ve got nothing bad to say about my old club Manchester United, just bad moments in life. I’m very happy to be here now, play in this competition and get three points today.

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• AFP
  

  Chelsea aim for three points

  Garnacho did hand Chelsea an early lead but they blew off the advantage within 18 minutes as Wilson Isidor restored parity in the match. Maresca will now have to rethink his tactics and take a more attacking approach in the second half to walk away with crucial three points. 

  After the Sunderland clash at home, the Blues are scheduled to take on Wolves in a Carabao Cup encounter on Wednesday before meeting Tottenham Hotspur in a key Premier League fixture on November 1.

تحدث عمر جابر، قائد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، عن مواجهة بيراميدز في نصف نهائي بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، المقرر إقامتها غدًا الخميس في دولة الإمارات.

ويواصل الزمالك استعداداته لمواجهة بيراميدز، غدًا الخميس، في موقعة ينتظرها عشاق الكرة المصرية، حيث يسعى الفريقان لخطف بطاقة التأهل إلى نهائي السوبر المصري، في العاصمة الإماراتية أبوظبي.

وقال عمر جابر في تصريحاته خلال المؤتمر الصحفي: “نادي الزمالك عندما يتواجد في أي بطولة يكون دائمًا المرشح الأول للفوز بها، وقد أثبت ذلك في إفريقيا، نسعى لإسعاد جماهيرنا، وندرك جيدا قيمة خصمنا”.

طالع | الزمالك: أولى صفقات يناير محسومة.. لا أزمة في القيد وهذا موقفنا من تجميد حسام عبد المجيد

وتابع: “دوري كقائد لنادي الزمالك صعب ويحمل مسؤولية كبيرة، لكنني فخور باللاعبين الموجودين معنا فنيًا وأخلاقيًا، وبالجهاز الفني المحترم الذي يعد من مشجعي الزمالك قبل أن يكونوا مدربين، وهذا يمنحنا الثقة والدافع القوي”.

واختتم: “هدفنا هو إسعاد جماهير الزمالك وتحقيق بطولة السوبر المصري، مع كامل احترامنا لفريق بيراميدز الذي نعلم أنه فريق قوي”.

David Moyes’ first spell in charge of Everton lasted 12 years, ending in 2013. He certainly left his mark on the football club, helping them to qualify for Europe numerous times during his first stint on Merseyside.

Some iconic players donned that famous Blue shirt in Moyes’ first spell in charge of the Toffees. Wayne Rooney is probably the most famous. Everton’s Scottish boss can take the credit for bringing the former England international into their first team in the first place.

One of the most notable Premier League full-back pairings of Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines, were also given their first chance under Moyes.

Another player who will live long in the memory of Toffees fans is Tim Cahill.

Cahill’s most iconic moments under Moyes

There is a strong case to be made that former Toffees attacking midfielder Cahill is the greatest Australian footballer of all time. He left a huge stamp on Everton during his 278-game career at Goodison Park.

Every single one of those appearances came under the tutelage of Moyes. The Scot first brought him to Merseyside in the 2004/05 season, and platformed him so well, to the point Cahill left the club with 68 goals and 29 assists, more often than not from the number 10 role.

The Blue Kangaroo, as he was lovingly dubbed during his time on Merseyside, had some iconic moments under Moyes. His first campaign saw him bag 11 Premier League goals, the most he managed during his time at the club.

Who can forget that iconic boxing celebration when he scored, where Cahill would punch the corner flag.

They tended to go hand in hand with his headed efforts, a real trademark of the Australian’s attacking play.

Moyes would surely love to have Cahill in his side today, a player who ‘conjured moments of brilliance when they were needed most’, as Russell Jackson once said in The Guardian.

Well, perhaps there is a player who can replicate his impact.

Moyes’ new Tim Cahill

In their current squad under Moyes, Everton have a few players who can make a real difference. Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye have been the two real standouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium this season.

Yet, it could be the case that Carlos Alcaraz could be seen as Moyes’ new Cahill, a link that football analyst Ben Mattinson made. The attacking midfielder turned his January loan move permanent this summer and has made a good impact in his short time at the club so far.

The 22-year-old, who earns £20k per week on Merseyside, has featured 23 times for the club so far. In that time, he’s found the back of the net three times and assisted the same number of goals.

He averages a goal or assist every 178 minutes in Blue.

In his first start for Everton, away to Crystal Palace last season, the Argentine “sensation,” as football scout Antonio Mango described him, assisted the first and scored the winner in a 2-1 victory.

There was certainly a little bit of Cahill about that goal, too. Alcaraz followed up a loose ball in the penalty box and smashed home the winner from 12 yards out.

It was a clinical goal, and certainly a brilliant contribution when his side most needed him, just like Cahill used to produce.

The stats from last season further highlight how he can create big moments in the same vein as Cahill.

For example, he averaged 0.7 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, placing him in the top 7% of Premier League attacking midfielders.

Goals and assists

0.58

82nd

Shots on target

1.4

98th

Passes into penalty area

2.21

88th

Goal-creating actions

0.7

7%

Carries into final third

2.56

88th

That goal-creating actions stat, and others, show how well the 22-year-old is always involved in the attacking play for Everton, even if he’s not directly scoring or assisting himself.

The determination with which he plays is certainly similar to Cahill.

Moyes would love a player of Cahill’s profile in his current side. In Alcaraz, he might have that player, who can produce magic moments from nowhere, during this exciting new era at Bramley Moore Dock.

Moyes has unearthed Everton's brand new Fellaini with "enormous potential"

This Everton star could recreate Fellaini’s role under Moyes

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 9, 2025

Sri Lanka’s captain reminded team-mates of what could’ve been ahead of first Test against Bangladesh

Andrew Fidel Fernando16-Jun-2025

Watching the South African joy pouring out of Lord’s following their World Test Championship victory, Sri Lanka Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva reminded his players that it could have been them.Sri Lanka had a decent shot of making that final. If they’d won three of their last four Tests in the 2023-25 cycle (they had two away fixtures against South Africa, and two at home against Australia), they would have been competing in the final at Lord’s. Instead they lost every single one of those matches – most of them quite badly – and finished sixth on the WTC table.In the previous cycle, they had also had an outside shot of making the final right into their final Test series. This time, the first cycle which de Silva gets to run the show from the outset, he wants to leave no stone unturned in their quest to finally make it to the title match.Related

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“We had a big chance to get to final but unfortunately we couldn’t do it,” de Silva said on the eve of the first Test against Bangladesh. “Even yesterday, when I talked to the boys, I reminded them where we could have been (at Lord’s this week), and where we ended up. As we start a new cycle, we know we have to win our home series. We need to pick up all those points. It’s a great opportunity to start a new cycle with a home series.”The problem for Sri Lanka is that their Test schedule in this cycle is both scant, and wonky. After this series, they next play in West Indies in the middle of 2026 – a gap of almost a year. All up, they will play only 12 Tests in this cycle (the minimum number) unless more are hastily scheduled. Both of their big Test players to retire this year – Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews – have been critical of a Sri Lanka schedule that seems to be leaking Test matches.De Silva, however, just wants his team to get on with the business of winning the few matches they still have to play.”Our job as professionals is to adapt to any situation. We have to play the situations we’re given – we can’t blame anyone. Last year we got a few Tests, but this year we didn’t, and that’s not something that is in our hands.”To kick off this new cycle, Sri Lanka have also named no fewer than six uncapped players in an 18-man squad. Many of these players have been picked on the strength of their domestic performances over the past few months.”We need to prepare for the situations that we do get. We’ve had a good National Super League (Sri Lanka’s premier first-class tournament) recently, and we’ve had good preparation through that. We’ve also identified a few good youngsters through that. We’re looking to embark on this next journey with them.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta sexta-feira, 22 de setembro, a Ponte Preta volta ao estádio Moisés Lucarelli, desta vez para receber o Mirassol pela 29ª rodada do Brasileirão Série B 2023. O jogo está programado para às 19h (horário de Brasília), e opõe a Macaca que ocupa a 15ª posição na tabela e o Leão que é o 11º colocado.

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+Veja a tabela e simule os resultados do Brasileirão Série B

Em sua última partida, a Ponte Preta empatou com o Vila Nova, por 1 a 1, o jogo ficou marcado pelas grandes defesas do goleiro Caíque França. Com este resultado a Macaca aumentou para três partidas, sua sequência sem vitórias, com uma derrota para o Guarani e dois empates para Sampaio Corrêa e Vila Nova respectivamente. Na Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro, a Ponte Preta não vive bom momento, e faz campanha irregular, o clube é o atual 15º colocado com 12 empates, nove derrotas e sete vitórias. Os torcedores da Ponte Preta sofre com a oscilação do time, na atual temporada a Macaca vive altos e baixos. Para o jogo, o técnico da Ponte Preta, Pintado não conta com o zagueiro considerado titular, Fábio Sanches que sofreu uma lesão muscular. Além do lateral-direito Luiz Felipe que cumpre suspensão automática, após receber o terceiro amarelo durante o empate com o Vila Nova.

+Assista aos jogos do seu clube do coração com aquela gelada! Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00

Já o Mirassol perdeu de virada para o Criciúma, por 2 a 1, o jogo ficou marcado pelo gol da vitória feito pelo time catarinense aos 51 minutos do segundo tempo. Com este empate o Mirassol viu a distância para o G-4 aumentar, agora está há oito pontos do Novorizontino, quarto colocado. O Leão da Alta vive fase de instabilidade na Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro, nas últimas oito rodadas conseguiu apenas uma vitória, quatro derrotas e três empates. Na Série B o Criciúma é o atual 11º colocado com 11 vitórias, dez derrotas e sete empates. Para a partida, o técnico do Mirassol, Mozart não conta com o volante titular, Neto Moura que cumpre suspensão automática, após receber o terceiro amarelo durante a derrota para o Criciúma.

PONTE PRETA X MIRASSOL
29ª RODADA DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO SÉRIE B

Local: Estádio Moisés Lucarelli – em Campinas-SP
Data e Hora: 22/09/2023, às 19:00h (horário de Brasília)
Árbitro: Bruno Mota Correia (RJ)
Assistentes: Wallace Muller Barros Santos (RJ) e Schumacher Marques Gomes (PB)
VAR: Adriano de Assis Miranda (SP)
Onde Assistir: SporTV e Premiere

PONTE PRETA

Caíque França, Weverton, Mateus Silva, Edson (Thomas Kayck) e Artur; Felipinho, Léo Naldi, Felipe Amaral (Paulo Baya) e Gabriel Santiago (Lucas Nathan); Eliel e Jeh. Técnico: Pintado.

Desfalques: Fábio Sanches (lesão muscular) e Luiz Felipe (suspenso)

MIRASSOL

Alex Muralha; Lucas Ramon, Rodrigo Sam, Luiz Otávio e Guilherme Biro; Yuri Lima, Danielzinho, Chico Kim e Gabriel; Negueba e Zé Roberto. Técnico: Mozart.

Desfalques: Neto Moura (suspenso)

Unicorns are still on top of the table, but Freedom now have the same points as them and are only behind on net-run rate

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2025San Francisco Unicorns are not unbeaten in MLC 2025 anymore, and though they are still right up there on the points table, it’s only on net run-rate now, after Mitchell Owen’s five-for helped Washington Freedom hand them a 12-run defeat in Dallas on Saturday.Matthew Short, the captain, had another good day with the bat as Unicorns started their chase of 170, a smallish target looking at the way the games have gone so far. But he had to go it alone at the start, with Unicorns getting to 52 for 1 in the powerplay despite Finn Allen and Jake Fraser-McGurk contributing very little.In Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Short found a slightly more enterprising partner, but when Short became the third man out in the 11th over, he had scored 67 of the 97 on the scoreboard. But with just 73 to get, Short hadn’t left his middle-order batters with a lot to do.That’s when Owen the bowler came to the fore. Short was his first wicket, in his first over, and Owen sent back Hassan Khan and Romario Shepherd off consecutive balls in his next. And in no time, with Jack Edwards and Ian Holland chipping in with wickets, Unicorns were 113 for 7 in the 16th over.Xavier Bartlett ran through the Washington Freedom top order•Sportzpics for MLCOwen wasn’t done. Returning for the 19th, he sent back tailenders Haris Rauf and Brody Couch too, to finish with 5 for 17, leaving Unicorns with 27 to get from the last over. Despite Jahmar Hamilton’s unbeaten 18-ball 31, Saurabh Netravalkar closed the game out, conceding 14 from his six balls.When Freedom opted to bat, they wouldn’t have expected to be down at 13 for 3 by the end of the third over, all thanks to Xavier Bartlett, who ran through the top three of Owen (a first-ball duck), Rachin Ravindra and Andries Gous.Glenn Maxwell didn’t last long either, but the resistance came from Edwards and Glenn Phillips, who added 71 for the fifth wicket, even though they took 64 balls to do it. Phillips hadn’t really changed gears till that point, but did immediately after as he and Obus Pienaar added 31 in 12 balls, and, after Phillips fell for 58 in 39 balls, Pienaar added 37 in 16 balls in his unbroken seventh-wicket stand with Mukhtar Ahmed.Both teams now have six wins from seven games, but Unicorns still have a big advantage on NRR: 2.016 to 0.603.

Brendan Doggett has been ruled out of Australia’s Test series against West Indies due to a hip injury with Sean Abbott called up as his replacement.Doggett, whose injury has been described as “minor”, was the traveling reserve for the World Test Championship final and was due to be part of the squad in the Caribbean but will now instead return to Australia.He ended the 2024-25 season with the spectacular match figures of 11 for 140 in the Sheffield Shield final for South Australia, during a summer where he climbed back up the national pecking order of pace bowlers, and may have pushed for a Test debut in West Indies.Related

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Abbott, like Doggett, is uncapped at Test level, was in Australia’s squad which toured Sri Lanka earlier this year and also during the India series at home. He is often considered one of the unluckier players yet to earn a cap.Australia will travel to Barbados in the middle of next week ahead of the first Test which begins on June 25, followed by matches in Grenada and Jamaica, the latter of which will be a day-night encounter.There is a chance Australia could alter the balance of their attack at stages during the series if conditions are conducive to turn with left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann a potential partner for Nathan Lyon alongside two quicks. Beau Webster’s presence in the side means they would still have an extra seamer if needed.”What are we going to get in the Caribbean? We haven’t been there since 2016, so there’s a little bit of the unknown, but we feel as though we’ve got a squad that can cover all bases,” head coach Andrew McDonald said.They will also need to assess the fitness of Steven Smith when they arrive following the compound dislocation he suffered on the third day at Lord’s which has left him doubtful for the opening Test. However, he avoided a break which would likely have required surgery and though he is required to wear a splint for eight weeks may be able to bat in it after around a fortnight.”It just split the skin and dislocated it, which made me feel pretty ill at that stage,” Smith told the ICC. “I think in a splint for eight weeks now and may be able to play with it in a couple of weeks, so it’ll depend on my functionality and what I’m able to do, but it’s probably the best result I could have hoped for.”